


Start the Fire

by writingbychelle



Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 18:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20430230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingbychelle/pseuds/writingbychelle
Summary: While Isaak has to pretend to be the King you find yourself falling in love with the shy guard.





	Start the Fire

Being a member of the King’s most trusted advisers had its advantages just as it had its disadvantages. Some days you felt like you were on cloud nine, seemingly floating through the Grand Palace with every step you took while other days you just wanted to crawl into your bed, tuck the duvet over your head, never to be seen again. 

Alas, you continued with your duties, advising Nikolai with the matter of state, trying to restore Ravka’s relationship with the Fjerdans, the Shu and the Kerch while not driving your own country into ruins as well as teaching the young Grisha how to control their powers, specifically how to summon fire while not burning Os Alta to the ground. 

Even as Nikolai left the capital of Ravka to journey to the Fold in hopes of finally getting rid of the monster that the Darkling had planted inside of him during the war. 

On top of trying to drive out the monster, the King had hoped to find answers to the many unexplained appearances throughout the country, like statues that begun to weep and a bridge made of bone that sprung out of nowhere, all apparent miracles as the new religious cult that claimed for the Darkling to be a Saint had called them. So together with Zoya, Tolya, Tamar and Yuri, one of the monks from the ‘Cult of the Starless One’, Nikolai had travelled through Ravka only to disappear once they had reached the place where the Darkling had died. 

Tolya and Tamar had arrived back at the Grand Palace with those news and you had to scramble in order to come up with a plan to keep the disappearance of the King under lock and key. 

That’s where Isaak Andreyev came into play. He knew Nikolai quite well after spending time with him in the infirmary during their time in the First Army and had a similar enough figure to the King. The decision was made quickly, Isaak would take over Nikolai’s role as the King for as long as it took for you to get him and Zoya back from wherever they were.

You had seen Isaak around the Palace grounds quite a few times, whether it had been while he was on duty as a guard or when he was studying in the library, the dim lights enhancing his already handsome features, and still you found yourself almost staring at him once he stepped into the windowless room with Tamar by his side. Never had you told anyone about this but over the course of the few months Isaak had spend in Os Alta you had found yourself developing quite the crush in him, despite having only met him a handful of times, usually in company with Nikolai who seemed to be quite prone to ‘forgetting’ he wanted to talk to his good friend and only remembering once you were accompanying him somewhere.

“Please, sit, Captain Andreyev,” you motioned to the unoccupied chair in front of Genya and you, your friend’s hands resting in her lap, waiting to begin the transformation.

Genya was quick to strike a conversation with Isaak while serving him tea, asking him about his health and how he was doing before you finally got the point of why you bought him into the war room.

“The King is missing,” you started, before going on to explain the mysterious disappearance of Nikolai, Zoya and Yuri in the Shadow Fold.

“We don’t know yet if the King is in need of rescue of beyond it, but we do know that if our enemies learn of the King’s disappearance, they’ll sure to take advantage of our vulnerability,” Genya explained while stirring her tea with the golden spoon she was holding, “There is no clear line of succession for the Ravkan throne, and it’s essential that no one discovers we’re without a ruler until the King can be found or a strategy is put into play.”

Nodding his head, Isaak mumbled a quiet “of course” while keeping his head down, intimidated by the people surrounding him.

After taking a deep breath Genya continued, “But in two weeks time, seventeen princesses, noblewomen, and ladies of worth will arrive in Os Alta, surrounded by their servants and retainers, all of them hoping to meet Nikolai Lantsov and become Ravka’s queen. Unfortunately, we are short one monarch. That’s why we need you.”

“Me?”

“To play the role of the King,” you chimed in, Isaak’s head snapping towards you, a startled expression pinned to his face.

You continued to explain the plan to Isaak, Genya pulling out her pigments and other materials she would need to tailor him to look like Nikolai and before you knew it you were face to face with Isaak looking just like your King, even though he still spoke, sat and acted like himself. Admittedly, it was going to be a hard task to trick people into thinking the guard was actually the eccentric King of Ravka but you tried not to lose hope.

Since you had known Nikolai for almost all your life, growing up together with him, you were the one that taught Isaak about how Ravkan’s King was expected to behave and move as well as some basic etiquettes at court.

“Alright, with the silverware you’re moving from the outside in. So for the first course, you’re taking the fork and knife that are laying the furthest away from you and once you’re done you place them on the plate and move onto the next. Got it?” you explained to Isaak, glancing in the direction of the fake King.

Even after working with him for several days in a row, the fact that he looked just like Nikolai still startled you, especially since you had to admit you liked his actual looks more than the way he did once Genya was done tailoring him. Once your eyes settled on Isaak you couldn’t help but let them drift over his face, taking in the smallest of differences between him and Nikolai. 

You could’ve told Genya to fix those, sure, but you liked seeing the faint freckles peeking through on the bridge of his nose, the way his eyelashes seemed more curled and longer than Nikolai’s, their shadows dancing across his face as the candle in front of you flickered, or the fact that his lips seemed almost too full, pinker than you remembered your King’s lips to be, even though one might blame the colour on the fact that Isaak had been gnawing on them ever since you had been left alone.

“Am I making you nervous, Isaak?” you asked quietly, the sound of your voice causing Isaak to look up from the silverware on the table you were sitting at.

“Only a little bit,” he smiled sheepishly at you before turning so he was facing you completely, “I just…I’m not so sure if I can do this…”

“You’ll be fine. One of us will be by your side most of the time and I’m sure you’ll manage to charm them all.”

“Will it really be me, though? All these people will see Nikolai-I mean the King and not me,” his gaze settled on his polished boots, his finger nervously twisting in his lap.

“Isaak,” you pressed with urgency in your voice, “Trust me when I say that you’ll do amazing. I grew up with Nikolai. I’m not trying to fool myself into thinking I know how his mind works but I’d like to think I know a good amount about how he holds himself and how he speaks to important people and so far you’re pretty close. No one will know you’re not him.”

“You think so?”

Nodding your head you shot a small smile in his direction which he mirrored quickly, his hands resting on his thighs as he looked around the room as if to make sure you truly were alone.

“You’re an amazing teacher, (Y/N), and…uhm, you-you’re really pretty, too. Even prettier up close,” he mumbled the last part as he carefully placed his hand on your cheek, almost as if he was afraid you were going to turn him into ash.

You could feel your breath hitch in your throat as you moved closer to him, his eyes darting back and forth between yours as your faces inched closer together with every passing moment. His lips brushed against yours just before the smell of smoke filled your nose, confusion spreading through you until you looked down at the piece of paper that you held in your hands, a small flame licking at the edge of the note.

“Oh, shit,” you cursed quietly, letting the paper fall to the ground just for you to stomp on it in order to extinguish the fire, “I’m so sorry, I don’t know how that happened. I’m always in control of it and now I completely embarrassed myself. Oh, Saints, I-“

Before you got to continue rambling on, Isaak pulled you into him, his lips pressing against yours, warmth spreading through your body as if it had been set on fire, sparks flying as his lips moved softly, tentatively, against your own. You could feel his fingers slowly creeping around your waist, burying themselves in your blue kefta once they reached your back. Butterflies seemed to dance in your stomach, the smell of the sweet tea Isaak had accidentally poured over himself earlier clouding your mind as your hands wandered up Isaak’s arms, meeting behind his neck, your fingers twisting the short hair in the back of his neck around themselves. It was like time had stopped around you, as if everyone paused in their movements while your lips were brushing against Isaak’s. Warmth consumed you as you leaned into the kiss, the world fading around you as the only thing you could think about was how soft his lips felt on your and how you never wanted this moment to end.


End file.
